What is the secret for attaching a mast (One piece) to the top of a car? I've tried many different methods. Some work, and others fail miserably. Is there one way to nail it every time with or without roof racks?

With a roof rack, you can do your own version of a square lashing. The key is with the loops that you do before finishing (Étape 4). They add a lot of tension. I guess you could crush the mast if you over do it.

Instead of doing this at the front and back racks, you can "thread" the mast in the straps used to hold your board and use a single square lash to fully secure the mast on one side only. I have also used duct tape to do that.

Please bear in mind that one piece masts are very good with very old sails. Newer sails however require masts with different bend characteristics that are not compatible with older one piece masts.

With a roof rack, you can do your own version of a square lashing. The key is with the loops that you do before finishing (Étape 4). They add a lot of tension. I guess you could crush the mast if you over do it.

Instead of doing this at the front and back racks, you can "thread" the mast in the straps used to hold your board and use a single square lash to fully secure the mast on one side only. I have also used duct tape to do that.

Please bear in mind that one piece masts are very good with very old sails. Newer sails however require masts with different bend characteristics that are not compatible with older one piece masts.

Keep it simple and cheap. Get a pair of bungee chords with the simple hooks on both ends. I used i think 10 or 12 inch length. Just wrap the bungee around mast and rack in such away that it is tight, then hook the two hooks together. I used to latch multiple masts together, never had a problem.

Back in the day all the masts were one piece and they had to go on the roof. Most of the roof rack companies sold little attachments that would hold them. They came in a set, one for the front bar, one for the rear bar. They either had a little latch across the top or some were circular and you just jammed your mast in and friction would hold them.

You can probably still find them. If not, send me a private message. I think I still have my old ones lying around.

Keep it simple and cheap. Get a pair of bungee chords with the simple hooks on both ends. I used i think 10 or 12 inch length. Just wrap the bungee around mast and rack in such away that it is tight, then hook the two hooks together. I used to latch multiple masts together, never had a problem.

I second this tip. You don't need fancy knots and straps. Just use a couple of bungee cords to attach it to a car rack. We never had a problem using this method.

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